Combination lock



May 7, 1929. A. c. FINDLAY COMBINATION LOCK Filed Oct. 26, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet III y 1929. A. c. FlNDLAY 1,711,780

' COMBINATION LOCK Filed Oct. 26 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 7, 1929.

UNE'FED STATES ALEXANDER C. FINDLAY, OF GHICAGQ', ILLINOIS.

COMBINATION LQGE.

Application filed October 26, 1925. Serial No. 64537".

My invention relates to combination locks in general, and it has particular relation to combination locks in which an electric protective circuit or burglar alarm is embodied.

While I shall describe my invention as particularly applied to combination locks embodied in safes or the like, it will, nevertheless, be understood that my invention may be embodied elsewhere, and is not to be limited to this use solely.

It is well known that if an individual is held up and forced to open a vault or any other place of safe keeping, any act that would create the slightest suspicion in the.

mind of the burgler that an alarm was being given might cause the life of the victim to be taken. If outside assistance is to be obtained, and the life of the individual is to be protected, under such circumstances, provision should be made to permit the individual to open the safe as usual, yet in a manner which will protect his life, and obtain this outside assistance in time to save the valuables. With this in mind, I have invented a device which in. all outward appearances resembles the ordinary combination look but which embodies means that may be operated in a normal manner and at the will of the attendant when compelled to open the safe, which means indicates or causes the sounding of an alarm at any desired place.

To accomplish this end, I preferably provide a notch in each of the several tumblers of the, combination lock, in addition to the usual gatings, whereby two diflerent sets of combinations or settings are formed, one of said settings normally operating to cause the gatings only to become aligned, and the other setting operating to cause the notches to align with each other simultaneously with the aligning of the gatings.

It is now apparent in the action of the lock, that should the one setting be operated to bring the gatings alone into alignment, the fence would be allowed to enter said gatings, the cam being integral therewith, would, upon a continued movement of the bolt disk, cause the bolt to be withdrawn. This action is repeated should the second of said settings be operated, with the ad dition, that the notches are then in align? ment to cause the operation of an electric switch which indicates or sounds the alarm.

An object of my invention is to provide a. combination lock having a plurality of set tings, one operating to release the lock in the usual manner, and another operating in alike manner but causing an alarm to be given.

Another object of my invention is to provlde a combination look so desi ned that an expert cannot tell by sound or eeling when he has arrived at the proper settings to re lease the lock.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is an elevation of a fragment oi a safe with my device mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation with the cover removed;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to F ig. 2 with the bearing members removed to show co-acting parts;

Fig. 4- is a perspective view of the contact element;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the bolt disk;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation with the cover and various other parts removed to show the master tumbler and its relation to coacting members;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 3, in a changed position;

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 99 of Fig. ti;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of one of the tumblers; and

Fig. ll is a top plan View of one of the remaining three tumblers.

Referring now in detail to the drawings wherein I have shown a convenient embodiment or my invention, a door 11, of the ordinary type of safe, is provided with the well known combination lock designated 10, said lock being embodied in the door 11 and comprising ahousing or casing 12 and a cover 13.

As is common to all combination locks, I have rigidly mounted in said casing 12 a 0st M- upon which is loosely mounted a holt dish 15 and a plurality of tumblers 16, i6, 16, 16, each having a gating 1? provided therein. The bolt disk 15 has a gear 18 integral therewith, which gear engages a driving gear mounted and keyed to a shaft 26', said in-it being threaded to allow for the varyni thicknesses of the door through which it projects. Fixed to the end of said shaft 20 on the exterior of the door 11 is a dial 21, which has the usual graduated indications marked thereon. Should the dial be operated to its various predetermined positions, the gears 18 and 19 will be actuated to position the tumblers so that the gatings 1'? will be in alignment.

Loosely mounted on a stud shaft 22 is a collar 23 which has a gear 24 fixedly mounted thereon engaging the gear 18 of the bolt disk. Upon the rotation of said gears, a fence 25 mounted on, and in frictional engagement with collar 23, and integral with a cam 26, will be caused to abut the periphery of the master tumbler tending to continue its rotation. The gatings 17 being in alignment will allow the fence 25 to engage, and a continued movement of the bolt disk will cause the cam 26 to rotate, re-

leasing the bolt 27 to the position shown in Fig. 8.

By providing two like gatmgs 17 and 17 in one of the tumblers, say the outermost tumbler 16, it is obvious that I may have two different sets of combinations, as either gating will align with the gatings of the remaining tumblers.

The provisions which I make for operating an alarm circuit consists of an arm 28 with its projection 28 held in an abutting I relation with respect to the periphery of the tumblers 16, 16, 13" and 16' by means of a spring 29, and arm 28 being pivotally mounted in an opening 30 of a plate 31. A guide 32 is fixed to the bottom of the casing and another guide 33 is lined to the cover, each having grooves 34 and respectively for engaging tracks 36 and 37 of said plate 31. Mounted in the casing 12 and insulated therefrom are two terminal posts 38, which are bridged by an arm 39, said arm being resiliently attached in any suitable manner to said plate 31, said resiliency compensating for any variation in the travel of said plate.

To operate the alarm circuit, I provide notches 40, or the like, the remaining tumblers, which notches will align simultaneously with the alignment of the gatings 17 and cause the projection 28 to become engaged therein. The continued movement of the tumblers will cause the plate 31 and its co-members to travel in a direction to break the circuit existing through the terminal 38 and give an alarm. This position is shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. I prefer to break the circuit for in so doing any tampering with the wiring will cause an alarm to be given.

Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings, I show the bolt disk 15 with its ear 18 integral therewith, the gating 1 extending through the body portion up to the gear, and a cutaway ortlcn 3:1 extending from the notch 28 ba to the periphery, said cutaway portion out only art-way through the said body portion to tile gear. Motion is always imparted to the bolt disk first, and at the beginning of this motion the projection 28 will ride up the incline 42 to its position on the periphery of the tumblers thus disengaging itself from the notches. I provide the bolt disk with a slightly larger diameter than that of the remaining tumblers, with its periphery broken only at the one gating. It is apparent that in operating the dial, the fence not having an abutting relation to any of the other tumblers with the exception of the bolt disk 15, an expert would not be able to tell by sound or hearing when the tumblers have reached the desired settings.

As hereinbefore pointed out, it is desirable to break the circuit when causing an alarm, and in order to do this any well known means may be provided. Such means may comprise, if desired, a relay 43, suitably connected in circuit and disposed at any convenient point. It will be remembered, of course, that breaking the circuit to cause the alarm is an additional safeguard since anyone tampering with the lock is more apt to cause the switch to open, or the circuit wires to break, than if some other arrangement were provided and the switch were relied upon to operate the alarm circuit if someone unlawfully tampered with the look.

I believe that I am the first to provide a lock of this type which, when opened in apparently the normal way, will operate to cause an alarm, and I, therefore, claim the same broadly.

While I prefer embodying my invention in the device herein shown and described,

different shapes and forms of locks may require different structures, which will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and, consequently, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and by the prior art.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a permutation lock, a casing, a plurality of tumblers in said casing, means for moving said tumblers into one of two predetermined position, a lockin bolt adapted to be released when said tum lers are operated into either of said predetermined positions, and a switch adapted to be actuated when said tumblers are operated into one of said predetermined positions.

2. In a permutation-lock, a casing, a plurality of tumblers in said casing, one of said tumblers being of a slightly greater diameter, means actuated by a dial for moving said tumblers into one of two predetermined positions, a locking bolt, means abutting the periphery of said larger tumbler adapted to cause the release of said locking boltwhen said tumblers are operated into either of said predetermined positions, and a switch adapted to be opened when said tumblers are operated into one of said pr determined positions.

3. In a permutation look, a casing, a plurality of tumblers in said casing, said tumblers having twosets of notches, means for moving saidtum-blers into one of two predetermined positions, one of said "predetermined positions causing the alignment of one, of said sets of notches, the second of said predetermined positions causing the alignment of-both said sets of notches, a locking bolt adapted to be released when said tumblers are operated into either of said predetermined positions, and a switch. adapted to be opened when said tumblers are operated into the second of said predetermined positions. I

4. In a permutation lock, a casing, a plurality of tumblers in said casing, said tumblers having two sets of notches, means for moving said tumblers into one of two predetermined positions, one of said predetermined positions causing the alignment of one of said sets of notches, the second of said predetermined positions causing the alignment of both of said sets of notches, a

locking bolt, a cam, saidcam engaging said notches in either of said predetermined positions and adapted to release said locking, bolt, and a switch-carrying member adapted to engage one of said sets of notches in said second predetermined position and operating to open a circuit.

5. In. a permutation look, a casing, aplurality of tumblers in said casing, said tumblers having two sets of notches, means for moving said tumblers into one of two predetermined positions, one of said predetermined positions causing the alignment of one of said sets of notches, the second of said predetermined positions causing the ali ment of both sets of said notches, a loc ring bolt, a cam, said'cam engaging said notches in either of said predetermined positions and adapted to release said locking bolt, a switch-carrying member adapted to engage one of said sets of notches in said second predetermined position, and guiding means adapted to support the switch-carrymg member when said switch-carrying member is operated to openthe circuit.

' 6. In a permutation lock, a casing, a plurality of tumblers in said casing, said tumblers having two sets of notches, one of said tumblers being of a slightly larger diameter, means actuated by a dial for moving said tumblers into one of two predetermined positions, one of said predetermined positions causing the alignment of one of said sets of notches, the second of said predetermined positions causing the alignment of both sets ofnotches, a locking bolt, a cam, said cam engaging said notches in either of said predetermined positions and adapted to release said locking bolt, a switch-carrying member adapted to engage one of said sets of notches in said second predetermined position and a pair of guides adapted to support the switch-carrying member when said switch cariying-member is operated to open the circuit.

7. permutation lock including a locking bolt, tumbler mechanism having a plurality of settings each of which is adapted to withdraw said bolt from its locking position, and alarm mechanism adapted to actuate, when said tumbler mechanism is in one of said settings, for withdrawing said bolt.

8. A lock including a locking bolt, tumbler mechanism having a plurality of settings, means adjacent the periphery of said tumbler mechanism adapted to withdraw said bolt from its locking position in each of said settings, and alarm mechanism adapted to actuate, when said tumbler mechanism is in one of said settings, for withdrawing said bolt.

9. A lock including a locking bolt, mechanism having two operating positions for releasing said bolt, and an alarm operable when said mechanism is in one of said positions.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ALEXANDER o. FINDLAY. 

